On a daily basis, mental health providers respond to many challenges: heavy caseloads, unrealistic time demands and, of course, challenging cases – All of which can quickly escalate to crisis levels (Plotts & Lasser, 2013). Disagreements between systems and providers can cause a backlog of stress and frustration. Without the proper self-care techniques in place, these feelings can escalate and lead to being overwhelmed, feeling ineffective, or to a state of vicarious traumatization (Dorociak, et al., 2017; Manning-Jones, et al., 2016).

It is imperative that we learn (and employ) effective self-care strategies to avoid significant impairment on personal and professional functioning. Learning strategies that foster “psychological hardiness” will help you reduce the risk of burnout which, at best, leads to increased risk of error, and can even be career-ending.

In this training, we will be exploring specific ways to balance the demands of your job and the needs of your personal life. Issues of supervision, modeling, mindfulness, and behavioral practice will be explored. Specific self-care strategies that can be implemented in a practical manner will be highlighted. We will explore a range of proactive self-care methods that have been shown to foster psychological hardiness. We will also consider the important role of clinical supervision and its impact on retention.

While self-care strategies are important for clinicians at all career stages, we will examine its importance for early career professionals. Factors specific to this group will be considered directly in this training.

Being “good to yourself” should not be considered a “luxury” or “something to be done later” but should be viewed as esential for good practice and personal wellbeing. Join us for an engaging and fun day!

Following this training the participants will be able to:

Describe the importance of promoting psychological wellness to enhance both self-efficacy and professional effectiveness.

Describe at least three specific self-care strategies targeted at graduate students and early-career clinicians.

Demonstrate new areas of limit-setting and balance of personal and professional demands to be used to enhance job effectiveness.

Demonstrate applications for fostering psychological hardiness in one’s own work environment.

Describe the connection between self-care, burnout, and retention issues for clinicians, in the context of larger local and national staffing shortage concerns.

Dan Jacobs, Ed.M., M.B.A., Psy.D., is an Assistant Professor at William James College (WJC) in Newton, MA (formerly known as The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology/MSPP) in the School Psychology Department where he teaches a range of courses for graduate students including: Addressing Substance Abuse in Schools, Collaborative Therapy with Multi-Stressed Families, Counseling and Psychotherapy in Schools, Clinical Interviewing with Children and Families, and Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the Organizational Leadership Psychology Department at WJC. Dr. Jacobs is the former Director of the Adolescent and Adult Partial Hospital Programs at NSMC/Salem Hospital in Salem, MA and he works in private practice at Jacobs Psychological and Consulting Services (JPCS) in Lexington, MA helping youth and adults with mental health and dual diagnosis concerns. Dr. Jacobs believes hope is always an option and believes adoption of a strength-based and proactive mindset is the most effective way to begin the journey of helping our clients become empowered to make positive changes in their lives.

Lunch service is not available at the hotel.

You are welcome to bring your own lunch or eat at one the manyrestaurants that are very nearby. Local Lunch Options

Massachusetts Turnpike West (I- 90). Take exit 11A (I-495 North) to exit 24B (Route 20 West/Northborough). Take your first right onto Felton St. before the Shell Gas Station. Hotel is on your right.

From Worcester:

Take I-290 East until the end then take I-495 South to exit 24B (Route 20 West/Northborough). Take your first right onto Felton St. before the Shell Gas Station. Hotel is on your right.

From 495 North or South:

Exit 24B (Route 20 West/Northborough) Take your first right onto Felton St. before the Shell Gas Station.

Hotel is on your right.

From Western Massachusetts/New York State:

Take the Massachusetts Turnpike East (I- 90). Take exit 11A (I-495 North) to exit 24B (Route 20 West/Northborough). Take your first right onto Felton St. before the Shell Gas Station. Hotel is on your right.

The Bridge Training Institute is a program of Open Sky Community Services